Tourism as a key pillar of Greece's development dominated the meeting of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) with the participation of Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni.

According to a ministry statement on Tuesday, Kefalogianni stated: "All sectors that support or are supported directly or indirectly by tourism contribute substantially and determine the quality of tourism grwoth. It is certain that in order to achieve our goals, in the economy as a whole and in the tourism sector in particular, systematic synergies are required between the central government and businesses, between businesses and regional administrations, as well as among economic sectors. The role and contribution of the Chamber in this effort, as an institutionalised advisor to the state, is important. It contributes decisively as a source of extroversion and a centre of dialogue in the dissemination of know-how, structured proposals to the state and local government."

The president of the Chamber, Giannis Bratakos, in his speech, underlined the need for tourism to emerge as one of the main pillars of a new, more resilient production model of the Greek economy, where in combination with manufacturing, high-end artisanship and the primary sector, it will constitute a key lever for the dynamic, extroverted and sustainable growth of the country. "The goal is not simply to increase arrivals, but to create substantial added value for local communities and the national economy. That is why we need to attempt the transition to a new, organised and coherent model of tourism development. A model that will allow the exploitation of the comparative advantages of each region of the country," he stated.